1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to lighting systems and, more particularly, to an LED light bar which is uniquely configured to provide superior heat dissipation characteristics, and is further adapted for retrofit applications in substitution for any one of a variety of linear fluorescent light fixtures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights is becoming increasingly popular in a wide variety of lighting applications. Significant advances have been made in LED lighting technology, which has made the use of LED lights more affordable and desirable in various industrial, household, and other environments requiring expanded lighting systems.
LED lights are generally viewed as offering significant advantages over traditional incandescent lighting systems. With incandescent bulbs, the expense is not only the cost of replacement bulbs, but the labor and costs associated with frequent replacement of the bulbs. This expense can be significant where there are a large number of installed bulbs. For example, the high maintenance costs typically incurred to replace bulbs in large office buildings, commercial warehouses, and the like are substantially minimized with LED lighting systems. In addition, the operational life of conventional white LED lamps is about 100,000 hours, which is a drastic increase over the average life of an incandescent bulb, which is approximately 5000 hours. Thus, the use of LED lights virtually eliminates the need for routine bulb replacement, this advantage being even more important when the lighting device is embedded or located in a relatively inaccessible place. Still further, it is generally recognized that, in a properly designed system, LED lights consume significantly less power than incandescent bulbs. In greater detail, an LED circuit has an efficiency of about 80%, meaning that about 80% of the electrical energy is converted to light energy, while the remaining 20% is lost as heat energy. As will be recognized, this efficiency facilitates significant cost savings in large lighting systems.
However, due in part to the relatively high cost of LED lights, the art turned to fluorescent light bulbs and systems as an alternative to incandescent lights. Generally speaking, fluorescent lighting is significantly less costly than incandescent lighting while providing essentially the same brightness, and also lasts longer than conventional incandescent lighting. In greater detail, on average, a fluorescent tube has a lifespan of about six times longer than a regular incandescent bulb. Because of these advantages, a vast majority of commercial and industrial structures incorporate conventional fluorescent light baring fixtures.
Fluorescent lights, however, have distinct disadvantages which detract from their overall utility. In greater detail, fluorescent lighting circuits are more complex than incandescent lighting and generally require professional installation and expensive components. In addition, fluorescent lighting is generally less attractive than incandescent lighting and can flicker noticeably, while also producing an uneven light. Mercury is also an essential component in the manufacturing of fluorescent light tubes, and is considered hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency due to its ability to bio-accumulate within the environment. Along these lines, the disposal of fluorescent light tubes is problematic for many municipalities.
The aforementioned drawbacks associated with the use fluorescent lighting have resulted in an increased reliance on LED lighting, with the use LED light bars as an alternative to fluorescent light tubes becoming more prevalent as the costs of LED lighting continue to decrease in the marketplace. However, the cost of replacing existing fluorescent light tube fixtures and circuitry in existing structures, systems, and so forth, is still relatively high. These costs are sometimes escalated by the designs of known LED lighting bars not being well suited for quick and easy retrofit installation, and further not being adapted for optimal heat dissipation which may result in the need to provide ancillary modalities to facilitate adequate heat dissipation. Thus, there is thus a need for an LED lighting system including an LED light bar that can easily and affordably be used in retrofit applications in substitution for conventional fluorescent light fixtures, and is provided with superior heat dissipation structural features. These, as well as other features and advantages are provided by the present disclosure as will be described in more detail below.